Anwar says told Azmin to expose firms who benefitted under Khalid
(Malay Mail Online) – New Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali has been directed to divulge the list of companies that profited from the deals under predecessor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, PKR de facto head Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday.
Among the deals that will come under scrutiny is the water restructuring exercise that Khalid finalised in the last days of his administration, Anwar was reported as saying in the Sunday Star.
The federal opposition leader claimed he has diligently discovered which companies were raking in millions in profits from such deals and why these were being shielded.
“I’m quite aware not because it was given to me, but I did my homework and I realised why people are bent on defending and refusing to listen due to the huge interests and benefits at stake.
“When it comes to the issue of public interest, my concern is that it has direct relationship to the water rates and the people will suffer from it,” Anwar was quoted as saying in the weekend edition of The Star.
Earlier this month, Khalid cemented Selangor’s water deal with Putrajaya that will allow the state to take over the existing concessionaires and pave way for the federal government to build the Langat 2 treatment plant previously opposed by the Pakatan Rakyat.
The water restructuring plan and the Langat 2 project were among the reasons given by PKR in its ultimately unsuccessful bid to replace Khalid with its president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
PKR earlier accused Khalid of proceeding with the deal unilaterally, and claimed that he neglected proper consultation with the party and the state executive council.
Azmin previously pledged to revisit the water restructuring agreement, among other deals inked by the previous Khalid administration, but it is unclear if he will have any option other than to honour the contract.
The allegations against Khalid in the water restructuring are also among the subjects of the former mentri besar’s defamation lawsuits against PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution.
